We Tried a New Body Contouring Treatment and Were Totally Amazed by the Results
When something sounds too good to be true it often is, so we went along to trial the all-new EMSculpt NEO to see if this miracle machine really does tone and tighten as promised
The before and after pictures show remarkable changes to abs, bottom, thighs and even arms (it is customisable for up to nine different areas of the body), all made possible in just a few hours of treatment. They are hard to believe so it would be fair to say I was more than a little sceptical as I headed into the salon to meet owners Ryan and Corey, but after spending just a few minutes with them I can already feel myself being swept along by their enthusiasm. They are incredibly knowledgeable in all things aesthetic and we chat generally about what’s good, and what’s not so good, before getting down to the nitty gritty of EMSculpt NEO.
There are of course several existing body contouring treatments that either improve muscle tone or promise to reduce fat deposits, but until now none has managed to do both simultaneously. It works by using something called high intensity focused electromagnetic technology (HIFEM) designed to stimulate involuntary deep, ‘supramaximal’ muscle contractions which you simply couldn’t achieve with exercise, no matter how long you spent in the gym. The simultaneous use of radio frequency (RF) is what helps the fat reduction, heating the muscle temperature by several degrees until the subcutaneous fat reaches levels that cause apoptosis (when fat cells are permanently damaged and slowly removed from the body). One 30-minute treatment purports to be the equivalent of doing 20,000 sit ups, burning fat and building muscle as it goes. What’s not to love?
‘Does it hurt?’ I ask a little meekly. ‘Not at all,’ is the reply, as I lie down on the bed and Corey places a heavy, paddle-like instrument on my stomach, kept in place with an elastic strap. He reassures me again as the machine starts up as I tense a little in anticipation of I am not quite sure what. The contractions come in waves but none are painful, a little uncomfortable maybe, but it’s just a rather strange sensation. For anyone who has ever given birth the involuntary muscle contractions are very reminiscent of labour. It’s weird – but what price new abs?
Corey chats to me all the way through the treatment and I learn a lot about the machine and some of the results already achieved on other clients. They’re impressive, and when my 30 minutes are up I hop off the bed full of anticipation. I am not sure what I expected to feel but despite all the hype I certainly didn’t expect it to feel like I’d had one of the best gym sessions ever. You know when you’ve really worked out but you just feel good, not stiff or sore. But I did.
‘There are of course several existing body contouring treatments that either improve muscle tone or promise to reduce fat deposits, but until now none has managed to do both simultaneously’
You can feel the difference after just one session but you need four over a period of a few weeks for the best results. And whilst after one treatment I can’t see a difference, I can feel a difference. I also feel more motivated to try a bit harder with my diet and exercise, inspired by my new-found shortcut to self improvement. After four weeks I am actually amazed (and delighted) at the difference in my stomach, and I am assured that I will keep burning fat and building muscle for a few months post-treatment. After six weeks I can fit into jeans I haven’t worn for years, and I am assured the best results are some three months after treatment. It’s not like I have new washboard abs, but I do have a tighter stomach and smaller waistline. So yes, in my opinion, it really is a miracle machine.
So who benefits from EmSculpt NEO? Clinical studies show an average 30 percent reduction in fat and a 25 percent increase in muscle in both men and women. It is perfect for anyone with stubborn areas of fat which diet and exercise just won’t move. It’s also great for anyone who wants greater muscle definition, or for combating some of the effects of ageing (including a menopausal tummy, and for those who suffer from Diastasis recti (when your muscles don’t knit back together post-pregnancy).
